A conventional golf tee is readily known and recognizable by a golfer of any skill and ability. Teeing a golf ball is understood to be inserting a conventional golf tee into the ground and placing a golf ball on top of the tee, typically in the cupped end of the tee. Typically, a golfer sets a tee and tees his ball by placing the golf ball in the palm of the hand and grasping the tee between the index and middle fingers such that the golf ball rests in the cupped end of the tee. The ball is grasped firmly such that the tee points out between the knuckles. The golfer then closes his hand around the ball and tee. Grasped in this manner, the tip of the tee is oriented perpendicular to the ground and the golfer forces the tee into the ground by applying pressure through the golf ball.
From a set of clubs, the golfer selects a desired club based on the conditions present at a particular tee. Golf clubs are designed with an impact surface having differing loft (the angle between a vertical plane and the clubface when the club is at rest). A typical set of clubs generally consists of 3 woods, 2 wedges, a putter, and 8 irons (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 irons, plus a pitching wedge). The longest wood, the 1 wood, is typically referred to as the driver. It has a large club head and typically the longest shaft. The shorter woods (e.g., the 3, 5, and 7 woods) are most commonly used when the ball is not on a tee, but in the fairway. These woods generally have greater loft than the driver and a smaller club head.
Different manufacturers of golf clubs emphasize different features of their driver depending on their target audience. For example, some manufacturers emphasize the large size of their driver club head. The accompanying larger sweet spot allows a golfer to hit his ball further. Other manufacturers emphasize that their driver club head with its low center of gravity creates a flight trajectory of the golf ball which results in a greater driving distance. Still other manufacturers emphasize that the shape of their driver club head allows a golfer to drive the ball further.
A result of these different features of the driver is that, depending on the style of driver, a golfer may desire to tee the golf ball at different heights above the ground so that the driver club head impacts the golf ball at the driver sweet spot. Accordingly, tees are available in different lengths, ranging from 1⅜ inches to 4 inches. It is not always practical for a golfer to use the same tee length, and therefore, there is a need for a device that sets the golf tee at a consistent height above the ground independent of the tee length.